Margaret Lavinia Anderson

I'm sure the author is a top-notch historian, and there's nothing wrong with the scholarship itself, but could I not bear with her long-winded writing style. I would have been happy to read a 250-page version of this book, but 450 pages is way too much. I had to skip ahead as the author continuously dove far too deep (for my taste) into small details. But the topic itself is certainly interesting: the author explains how people in positions of authority (employers, religious leaders, landowners) did their best to influence voting and how limited the secrecy of the ballot was in small communities. She also explains much, much else, so if you're looking for a really detailed analysis of 19th century democracy, this book can certainly be recommended.… (más)